The catch, of course, is that this was no James Bond movie, but the latest advertisement of one of India’s leading pan masala brands, Pan Bahar, which has roped in Brosnan as brand ambassador — significant positioning above previous champions such as Bollywood stars Feroze Khan and Saif Ali Khan.

Brosnan kicked off the campaign a day after Union consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the government is considering a ban on celebrity endorsements if advertisements are found to be misleading, Interestingly the campaign started on the 7th of the month, a play on James Bond’s code name, Agent 007.

Industry sources say the company might have shelled out a million dollars for a day’s work. “Considering that the agreement is based on per day usage, the deal would be in range Rs 5.5 crore to Rs 7 crore for a shoot,” said Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer at Kwan Entertainment. “For company, it is a celebratory deal as a product which is otherwise considered down-market, gets a classy and global feel. Brosnan, on other hand, gets more visibility in India — apart from good money.” It is not known how many days this shoot did actually take.

DJ Group refused to divulge financials of the deal.

It will be Brosnan’s second stint with Indian brands. He has earlier endorsed Reid & Taylor, a suiting fabric brand.

“Pan masala maker choosing Brosnan is an odd combination. However, globally, people are attracted towards the fragrance of pan masalas and consider it as an Indian speciality,” said ad guru, Piyush Pandey who himself chews pan masala.

“However, I am not sure if the masala eaters know who Brosnan is! Creating a buzz with an advertisement does not necessarily boost sales,” he added.

Pandey is executive chairman and creative director Ogilvy & Mather India and South Asia, for leading ad agency.

The campaign was conceptualised and executed by DDB Mudra North. “The decision to bring Brosnan on board speaks volumes about our vision and ambition,” said Dinesh Jain, CEO, DJ Group said.